Are you ready for a REAL healthy option in a beverage product? Or even better, a giveaway package that allows you to try it for free and provide you with a few other useful items  to help you look sexy, be good to the environment and improve your efficiency?

A Sokenbicha (pronounced “Sew-Ken-BEACH-Ah”) representative approached me recently with the offer to sample the newest flavour of Sokenbicha (Japanese flavoured cold teas) and supply FOUR contest winners on Live Lighter with a fabulous giveaway package. Of course I said, “Yes, please!”

If you’ve never heard of Sokenbicha, I reviewed it back in October 2010 when it first hit U.S. shelves. It’s an iced tea like no other: unique herbal blends with healing properties based on an ancient Japanese herbal approach to health and wellness, unsweetened and absolutely calorie-free.

For those of you who’ve cut sugar out of your diet, this is the tasty commercial tea you’ve been waiting for a company to produce – one who also cares for the environment with their sustainability practices! For all you the sugar addicts out there, this might not be the tastiest beverage for you but it will be a very healthy, refreshing, flavour-full alternative to plain old (but healthy) water.

Sokenbicha began with 5 varieties of teas:

Revive: A crisp oolong tea blend infused with pomegranate and raspberry notes, black tea and rose hips.
Defend: A mild oolong tea blend with guava leaves and ginseng.
Purify: An aromatic green tea blend with chamomile and aloe.
Shape: A bold barley tea blend with peach flower notes, pu’er and green teas.
Skin: A full-bodied barley tea blend with cinnamon and ginger.

And now they’ve just released a new tea: Replenish. This one is a jasmine tea with aloe and hints of mint! It has a very lovely flavour; I personally taste the jasmine more than the mint and that works for me – jasmine is beautiful! Even though mint is my favourite tea…

I highly suggest everyone give these teas a try. If you’re interested, you can pick up yours Whole Food Markets and other stores across America. OR, you can enter Live Lighter’s Sokenbicha giveaway contest for a chance to win samples and other goodies!

Sokenbicha Giveaway Contest

What’s up for grabs? Sokenbicha is generously offering FOUR prize packages which include a Sokenbicha t-shirt, snazzy pen, memo pad, reusable shopping bag and a few bottles of Replenish for you and your bff’s to try!

How do you enter? Easy. Just leave a comment in this post for each of the following tasks (each comment is equal to one contest entry):

1. What is the name of the traditional herbal approach Sokenbicha uses to create their tea blends? (Hint: I reveal it in Ancient Wisdom in a Bottle review post.)
2. Name one store that carries Sokenbicha. (So far, that is… I’m hoping they come to Canada!)
3. Follow Sokenbicha on Twitter.
4. Like Sokenbicha on Facebook.
5. Answer this skill testing question: barley tea + cinnamon + ginger = ?

Contest officially closes on April 6, 2012 at midnight, so you have a week to submit your comments and increase your chances to win! Good luck to all participants.

Disclaimer: Sokenbicha sent me product samples to test in order to provide an honest review. They did not pay for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

A big thank you goes out to Sokenbicha for contributing the prizes for this contest! 

What the hell is a Zaca Patch, you wonder? It’s for recovery – similar to the nicotine patch but better because instead of a chemical, your skin is absorbing nutrients! Find out more in this blog post and how you can win a box of two patches!

Available internationally, these recovery patches allow you to “feel better long after you’re done the party.” They are a small (1″ x 1″), gauze-textured, all natural patch that is safe to use and promotes `feel-great mornings’ (whether you’re drinking or not) through infusing 11 different organic ingredients into your bloodstream:

• Prickly Pear
• Milk Thistle
• Thiamine (B1)
• Lipoic Acid
• B5
• B3
• Taurine
• Lycopene
• NAC
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C

Read more about these various ingredients on their website. They promise clear-headedness and bright eyes, and every order comes with a 100% money-back guarantee!

The product rep gave me a few to use but unfortunately, I was in remission from an ear infection – yes, it’s trying to come back! I blogged about this in Yo Yo Healthy Living: Part 3 (Adventures in Hypnotherapy). I tried one before I drank and another without drinking. Honestly, I didn’t notice a difference and my infection may have been the issue.

So here are some other Zaca Patch testimonials to consider. Actually, why don’t you try it for yourself!?

Zaca Patch Giveaway Contest

Up for grabs: 1 box (2 Zaca Patches).

All qualified contest entries will be entered into a random draw held on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. The winner will be announced the next day here on Live Lighter.

But how do you enter the contest? Here are the details:

• Starts: 7pm EST on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. (That’s today.)
• Ends: 12am (midnight) EST on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. (2 weeks from now.)
• To enter: Answer the contest question in the comment section of this blog post by the contest end date.
• Contest question: “Name 1 organic ingredient in the Zaca Patch.”

That’s it! Get your free set of Zaca Patches by entering today’s contest and see if you feel better in the mornings!

Two weeks ago we launched the Do It or Age Quickly Book Giveaway Contest so a few lucky readers could benefit from JB’s interesting, ancient and über quick (60 seconds each!) healthy living tips. Today we announce the winners!

Just to remind everyone what was up for grabs, JB Berns (celebrity trainer) just released his latest book, Do It or Age Quickly, where he shares 21 daily practices that only take a minute each to perform. Most of them are based on Taoist principals and all of them are natural.

(For more tidbits about this book, read my review.)

So who won their very own copy of JB’s book? Who will have the chance to learn exercises that will enhance their sex life, internal-cleansing techniques and other natural tips and info shared that will help them live longer, stronger and longer?

Do It or Age Quickly Contest Winners

To be eligible as a contestant, readers were asked to share a healthy habit that they’ve incorporated into their routine within the last year. Almost everyone who commented did so and it’s with great pleasure that I announce today’s book giveaway contest winners:

1. Melissa
2. Leannae
3. Emmanuel
4. Penny

Congratulations, Ladies and Gent! Thank you for reading Live Lighter and participating in the giveaway contest. I hope you find some juicy and helpful practices in your brand new copies of Do It or Age Quickly!

For any new readers, if you’re wishing you had of known about this contest before today, subscribe to our RSS Feed so you can stay abreast on all our future contest giveaways!

Have you read Do It or Age Quickly yet? What did you think of it?

Do It or Age Quickly:60- Second Practices to Live Better, Stronger, and Longer: A guide full of the wisdom my friend JB Berns has gathered from Chinese medicineduring his years of martial arts training and teaching.

Did you catch last week’s book review on celebrity trainer JB Bern’s Do It or Age Quickly? If you did and you’re excited to try out some of JB’s 60 second practices for living healthier, stronger and longer, now’s your chance to win a copy of your own!

As I mentioned in the review, JB’s new book, Do It or Age Quickly, is ideal for both men and women who want simple, fast and effective methods for getting healthier and more balanced – and staying there. The practices he shares are based on Taoist traditions and philosophy, and the knowledge he imparts alone is worth the $19.95.

Of course, if you win this book giveaway contest, you won’t have to spend even that!

For those of you who didn’t catch the review and don’t have the time to read it, here are some highlights of what you’ll find in Do It or Age Quickly:

• A system of 21 simple anti-aging techniques most people haven’t heard of before.
• Eating routine that streamlines digestion and brings about effortless weight-loss.
• Stretches and exercises (including some that strengthen kegel muscles for better sex!) that take only 60 seconds each.
• Hair preservation for men.
• Natural toothpaste that whitens teeth and doesn’t strip enamel.
• Herbal tea that energizes and bolsters your immune system.
• Facial creams superior to anything else currently on the market that heal and preserve skin.
• Stress and fear-reducing methods.

Do It or Age Quickly Book Giveaway Contest

Up for grabs: JB Berns has graciously offered to giveaway 5 copies to Live Lighter winners!

All qualified contest entries will be entered into a random draw held on Thursday, March 10, 2011. Winners will be announced the same day here on Live Lighter.

But how do you enter the contest? Here are the details:

1. Starts: 7pm EST on Thursday, February 24, 2011. (That’s today.)
2. Ends: 12am (midnight) EST on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. (Almost 2 weeks from now.)
3. To enter: Answer the contest question in the comment section of this blog post by the contest end date.
4. Contest question: “Name one new healthy habit you’ve incorporated (or would like to) into your daily routine within the past year.”
5. Bonus entry: For an extra chance to win, expand on your answer and tell us how (or if) this new healthy habit has improved your life. 

That’s it! So come on, tell us about your new healthy daily habit and how it’s helped you. And don’t be greedy, there’s FIVE prizes thanks to JB Berns and his publishers. Share this contest with all your friends who want to be healthier, stronger and more balanced with you!

Do It or Age Quickly:60- Second Practices to Live Better, Stronger, and Longer: A guide full of the wisdom my friend JB Berns has gathered from Chinese medicineduring his years of martial arts training and teaching.

Two weeks ago we announced the Sokenbicha Giveaway Contest where we were giving away a total of five prizes to five lucky winners. Today we find out who won!

If you haven’t heard about Sokenbicha yet, it’s this incredibly refreshing, natural-tasting iced tea made from botanical blends based on the Japanese Five Elements Theory and Kampo, the traditional herbal approach to health and wellness. Coca-Cola just brought Sokenbicha to the U.S. last month.

For more info on Sokenbicha, check out my review post, Ancient Wisdom in a Bottle: Sokenbicha Tea, and learn more about the company’s sustainability efforts in the Sokenbicha Giveaway Contest post.

If you’re on Facebook, like Sokenbicha’s page, and if Twitter is your thang, follow them @SokenbichaTea.

Sokenbicha Contest Winners

Before we announce the winners, let’s recap what Sokenbicha had up for grabs. The five winners will choose one of these options:

• Sokenbicha Tea sample pack in a reusable shopping bag.
• Sokenbicha ladies fitted t-shirt.
• Sokenbicha-embossed, leather-bound wellness journal.

Without further adieu, I’d like to congratulate the following Live Lighter readers:

1. Lori
2. Grace Cherian
3. Henria O.
4. Caitlynn
5. Heather

Thank you all for participating in the contest. Subscribe to Live Lighter’s RSS Feed so you can stay abreast on all our future contest giveaways!

Have you had a chance to try Sokenbicha yet? Which one out of the five flavours is your favourite?

Did you catch Live Lighter’s Sokenbicha Tea review a few weeks ago? It’s bar-none the best commercial tea I’ve tried yet – and now you have a chance to try it yourself with our latest giveaway contest!

If you missed the review post and you haven’t time to read it, here’s a brief recap:

Sokenbicha’s authentically brewed teas are unsweetened, contain zero calories and are made with tea blends and natural botanicals from around the globe. Sokenbicha is inspired by the teachings of Kampo, a traditional Japanese herbal approach to health and wellness dating back more than 1500 years.

The five varieties of Sokenbicha are:

1. Revive: A crisp oolong tea blend infused with pomegranate and raspberry notes, black tea and rose hips.
2. Defend: A mild oolong tea blend with guava leaves and ginseng.
3. Purify: An aromatic green tea blend with chamomile and aloe.
4. Shape: A bold barley tea blend with peach flower notes, pu’er and green teas.
5. Skin: A full-bodied barley tea blend with cinnamon and ginger.

For all those who cherish companies accepting social responsibility, you’ll be proud of Sokenbicha.

Not only are their bottles made from a PET plastic that features up to 30 percent plant based material (making both the bottle and label 100% recyclable), they use an innovative process that turns sugar cane and molasses into PET plastic.

Their teas are also authentically brewed (limited processing), and they use 100% hand plucked tea leaves (no pollution generating harvesting machines), hydroelectricity at their facilities and recycle their production waste as mulch.

They also take care of their workers through worker housing and health care; child care and mandatory schooling; and CSR customer partnership projects.

Now that we’ve peaked your interest, here’s how you can win Sokenbicha Tea to try it out for yourself!

Sokenbicha Tea Giveaway Contest

Sokenbicha has graciously offered to provide 5 cool prizes to Live Lighter readers. That means FIVE of you win a prize of your choice!

What are the available prizes?

1. Drink samples in an eco-friendly shopping bag.
2. Beautifully designed Sokenbicha t-shirt.
3. Leather-bound wellness journal. 

How do you win?

The contest officially starts tomorrow, November 12, 2010. Leave a comment in this post by November 19, 2010, and answer this question:

In the Japanese 5 Elements Theory, which element corresponds with the heart?

(HINT: check out the 2nd image in my Sokenbicha Tea review post!)

All those who get the skill-testing question correct will be entered into a draw on November 22nd, 2010. We’ll announce the winners on Thursday’s post, November 25th, 2010.

(Update: Just realized that the 25th is U.S. Thanksgiving! In lieu of this, I’ll post a special announcement the following day on Friday, Nov. 26th, 2010.)

I’m very excited about this contest, not only because the prizes are exceptional (especially the yummy, healthy teas) but because there will be FIVE winners! Please share the love and let your friends know about this awesome Sokenbicha contest.

Since Sokenbicha hit the Whole Foods Market shelves in America last month, have you tried any of their teas? What did you think?

A few weeks ago we announced Live Lighter’s latest contest giveaway. The lucky winner will receive the latest edition of my favourite natural health reference book, America’s #1 Natural Health Guide, Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Today we find out who won!

Before we announce the winner, let’s just review what makes this prize awesome.

The Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 5th edition, A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements brings readers the most up-to-date information and leading studies on alternative and preventative therapies.

The updated science includes: supplements and diseases; drugs; vitamins (B12, D, E); calcium and weight-loss; creatine & strength-building; melatonin & sleep; herbs such as turmeric, valerian, saw palmetto, St. John’s wort, licorice and kava; essential oils; preparing for surgery; beverage in-take; dietary thinking; and GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices).

New disease information (including treatment, demographics, nutrition and supplements): aging, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, asthma, autism, breast cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue, crohn’s disease, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, influenza, insomnia, kidney stones, MS, obesity, PMS, prostate cancer, radiation exposure, skin cancer, smoking, tooth decay, tumor, ulcerative colitis, and MORE!

If you’re interested in learning more about this book, check out the original contest post where we first introduced it, and stay tuned for an upcoming book review!

My 4th edition is dog-eared and well-loved. I’ve referred to it countless times for my own sake and for others close to me, as well as on this blog:

• Supplements & Herbs to Support Cleansing
• What’s an Allergy?
• When is Fasting Not a Good Idea?
• Naturally Cure the Winter Blahs
• What is the Common Cold?
• A Safe & Enlightening 3 Day Fast
• Is Fasting Healthy?
• How to Detox (or How to Live Longer & Happier)
• Why Should We Detox
• Top 10 Gifts for a Health Nut
• 5 Steps to Losing 25 lbs in 3 Months
• Digestive Health 101

All of the contestants in the Prescription for Nutritional Healing Giveaway named one of these posts in order to qualify for the giveaway.

So Who the Heck Won?

Selected in a random draw was Live Lighter reader and blogger from Crowning Victoria, Vicki from Washing, D.C. Congratulations Vicki, you’re now the new owner of a comprehensive, helpful health tool that blends old medicine with new!

For everyone salivating for a copy of their own, the 5th edition of Prescription for Nutritional Healing is now out in stores for $30. Actually, it’s available for as low as $19.80 on Amazon.com!

If you value natural health solutions and enjoy taking responsibility for your health, then this book will be well-worth the investment. Do you own an older edition of PNH?  Are you planning to update it?

Do you have your very own `Natural Health Bible’ for health-related questions? If you’re a regular reader, you already know how much I love and refer to my 4th edition, Prescription for Nutritional Healing. The 5th edition just came out and they want to give YOU one!

Before we get into the contest details, let’s review exactly what we’re offering here:

About Prescription for Nutritional Healing

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 5th edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements (Avery, October 5, 2010, $30) is America’s #1 Guide to Natural Health. Since the first edition, it’s sold over 8 million copies!

Originally published in 1983, it was the first of its kind. It offered the public a complete reference guide to achieving and maintaining the highest level of health and fitness through careful dietary planning and nutritional supplements. From the press release:

“Blending scientific research with traditional remedies, Prescription for Nutritional Healing gave readers the opportunity to reach optimum health, build up their immune system, and increase their energy levels in a safe, holistic way, in conjunction to (or without even turning to) doctors and pharmaceuticals.”

Now that natural health has gone mainstream, this book is a must for every home. It is considered the most trusted, comprehensive source on dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals and herbs. In 856 pages, it unites the best of age-old remedies, twenty-first century science and today’s emerging health news.

Some of what’s shared in the book:

• Basics of good nutrition
• How to balance vitamins and minerals so that the body can properly absorb both
• How to determine the best way to treat 250 problems – from abscesses to wrinkles – using herbs, nutrition and supplements
• Where to get the facts on other complementary therapies, like ayurveda, biofeedback, chiropractic care and more.

The 5th edition (the prize in this contest) includes a line-by-line update on everything from disease studies to additional resource material. It adds the latest terminology and unveils new science on vitamins, supplements, herbs, drugs, nutrients, and even beverage intake.

Some of the additional updates include:

• Dosage recommendations for vitamins, herbs and supplements
• Omega-3s and exercise to alleviate Alzheimer’s
• Current guidelines on managing Diabetes
• Effects of nutrition on Autism
• Vitamin D and Breast Cancer
• Supplements and Crohn’s Disease
• Updated diet and exercise information for Fibromyalgia
• Latest research on Menopause and Bio-Identical Hormones
• Vitamins for fighting Osteoporosis
• Nutritional information for combating Prostate Cancer
• Risk of beta-carotene in Smokers

About the Authors

Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, was the leading nutritional counsellor and advocate for natural therapies for more than two decades and spent more than twenty-five years researching natural approaches to health and healing.

Stacey Bell, D.Sc., is a registered dietitian and has worked as a nutritional researcher while on the faculty at Harvard Medical School where she also counselled patients on how to eat in the face of disease. She has worked with Tony Robbins and Dr. Andrew Weil and is currently a nutritional consultant in Boston, MA.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing Giveaway Contest

So now that you know about the book and especially the new 5th edition, how would you like to win one for yourself?

It’s really easy to win, all you have to do is:

• Leave a comment in this post by Friday, October 22, 2010.
• Identify 1 post on Live Lighter that references Prescription for Nutritional Healing. (HINT: use Live Lighter’s search bar at the top right of the blog to reveal a list of potentials.)

Your name will then be entered into a random draw held on Monday, October 25, 2010! Winners will be announced Thursday, October 28, 2010.

So, Readers, if you want your own Natural Health Bible, name 1 post on Live Lighter that mentions Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Good luck!

Two weeks ago we announced Live Lighter’s latest giveaway contest where Bindu Grandhi generously offered 2 of her Spice Up Your Life cookbooks as prizes. Today we’re announcing the winners!

But first, please check out any of the following posts you find interesting:

• Live Lighter’s Spice Up Your Life book review
• Bindu cooking one of her recipes: Seasoned Kale
• Live Lighter’s interview with the author, Bindu Grandhi: Part I and Part II

And now without further adieu… drum roll, please… The winners of the Spice Up Your Life giveaway contest are:

1. Gail Tucker
2. Marc from Life Changes, for everyone.

Congrats to the winners and thank you to all who participated in the contest!

Be sure to stay tuned for more book reviews on various subjects on healthy living, author interviews and contest giveaways.

Last week, it was a pleasure to meet with author Bindu Grandhi (a.k.a. The Flex Cook) in an exclusive interview. We also saw her in action as she shared one of her flexitarian recipes, Seasoned Kale. Now Bindu has graciously offered to giveaway 2 of her cookbooks!

Are you pumped to win a copy of Spice Up Your Life, a flexitarian cookbook perfect for meat minimalists?!

All you have to do is:

• Leave a comment in this post by March 26.
• Answer this question: “What is Bindu’s absolute favourite recipe in Spice Up Your Life?” (hint: it’s in our interview with Bindu)

Your name will then be eligible for a draw on March 29! Winners will be announced on April 1st and will be determined by a random selection process.

Good Luck to Everyone!